Moscow, 28 February 2026: Madhish Parikh, a youth leader from Gujarat, proposed establishing a Russian Culture Centre in Gujarat during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The meeting took place during “We Are Together” international volunteer forum, where Parikh was the only Indian participant to meet with President Putin.
Parikh told President Putin that he has been advocating with the Russian House in India to set up the culture centre in Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The proposed centre would serve as a platform for cultural exchange and cooperation between Russia and India and strengthen Indo-Russian relationships.
The meeting came ahead of President Putin’s scheduled official visit to India. During their conversation, President Putin said he would personally brief Prime Minister Modi about his discussion with Parikh.
Parikh is the Founding Director of the BRICS Youth Alliance and Elixir Foundation. He introduced himself to President Putin as someone from Prime Minister Modi’s home state and shared that his first visit to Russia was as a recipient of the International Prize “We Are Together” for humanitarian work during the COVID-19 pandemic. He now serves as an Ambassador of the Prize.
During the meeting, Parikh thanked President Putin for Mission Dobro, under which young Russian volunteers supported humanitarian projects in India. He emphasized the need for more such cross-border volunteer initiatives between India and Russia.
Parikh signed an agreement with the International Associationof Volunteers – DOBRO. The agreement is to create expanded opportunities and leadership pathways for young people from BRICS countries through the BRICS Youth Alliance, which Parikh founded as an international platform for youth cooperation supported by the BRICS Project Office in the Ulyanovsk Region.
Parikh founded BRICS Youth Alliance, a united movement of young leaders shaping diplomacy, innovation, and change across BRICS and beyond. The alliance organised first-ever International BRICS Educational Expedition in India in partnership with the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs of the Russian Federation.
Parikh is a recipient of the National Youth Award, India’s highest civilian honour for youth service. In 2025, he received the BRICS & SCO Young Leaders Award for Best Young Social Entrepreneur, selected from more than 400 nominees across 13 countries. He has represented India at international forums including those linked to the World Economic Forum and United Nations.
Parikh meeting Putin video link: https://x.com/RT_India_news/status/1996562631298334745?s=20
Government of Russian Federation’s Official Release on Kremlin: http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/78642
